Confluence ’13 Youth Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting, New Delhi

FICCI CASCADE organised a youth festival in collaboration with Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies in the University of Delhi. Hon’ble Minster for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Ajay Maken while inaugurating the FICCI CASCADE youth festival called for drive against smuggling andcounterfeiting to plug fiscal deficit. He further said “the report released by FICCI-CASCADE highlighting the impact of counterfeit and smuggling on seven key sectors of the economy and the lossto government is a right step in creating awareness.” Mr Maken said that it was very important for this “invisible enemy” to become visible and customer awareness is an extremely important step for this inaddition to supply chain management and enforcement. It was highlighted that if products like alcohol and tobacco are fake and counterfeit, the harm is increased manifold.

Dr. Arbind Prasad, Director General FICCI welcoming the Minister, stated that, “It is extremely important to understand the impact on society in terms of the involvement of organised crime cartels who are the people engaged in the nefarious activities of fake, counterfeit and smuggled goods. The main thrust of FICCI-CASCADE is creating awareness. This is being done through engagement withConsumer Affairs Ministry in the Jago Grahak Jago” programme, working with youth in various festivals and also creating a knowledge base like the study released to study the economic impact offake, counterfeit and smuggled goods.

‘Confluence’ 13 had an array of events including Case Study Competition, Poster making, T-shirt painting, On-line photography competition, Broad walk Empire, Bid to win and ‘The Ultimate leader’, all in keeping with the theme of the event “Youth against Smuggling and Counterfeiting”.

About FICCI CASCADE

In recent times India’s economic growth story has attracted the world’s attention bringing new challenges for the domestic economy. One of the challenges continually faced is the growing illicit trade in counterfeits, pass offs and smuggled goods.